Russell Okung says it’s “very possible” he could stay in Seattle

Seahawks left tackle Russell Okung doesn’t know where he’s going to land for next season, but he’s still putting down some degree of roots in Seattle.

Okung told Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com at an event for his charitable foundation that he’s committed to the city whether he ends up playing there or not, though he has had some talks with the Seahawks about a return.

“Yeah, we’ve had some conversations,” Okung said. “We’ve been going back and forth. It’s going to come down to when free agency starts. So we may figure something out, we may not. It’s up in the air for now for us to come to terms.

“It’s very possible that I could stay here. But I know my value, and I’m not going to settle for anything less than that. If it works out, great. And if it doesn’t, that’s great as well.”

Okung is also coming off shoulder surgery, which complicates his free agency (along with acting as his own agent). He’s shown talent and an ability to do the job, but injuries have been a major factor for him, as he hasn’t played a full 16 game season yet.

And unlike most agents, who are in Indianapolis shopping their clients to teams in advance of the official legal tampering season, Okung can’t talk to teams yet without it being actual tampering, since he’s technically under contract with the Seahawks until free agency opens on March 9.

You’ve never played 16 games in your career and you just had shoulder surgery. My guess is you don’t have a clue what your actual value is and it’s probably sitting on an offer sheet right in front of you at the moment.

Nice to have had you play for the Seahawks but frankly, Alvin Bailey looked better than you at LT anyway so good luck to you.

Okung will save 20% by not hiring an agent and another 10% staying in the state of Washington which has no income tax. If he raps this up quickly the Hawks will not go shopping in free agency for his replacement. It works both ways.

oreo51 says:
Feb 26, 2016 11:20 AM
Okung will save 20% by not hiring an agent and another 10% staying in the state of Washington which has no income tax

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In the NFL, agents are limited to 3% of the player’s contract (although they can get a much larger percentage of any endorsements). But you make an excellent point about Washington not having any income tax. That’s huge.

His contract negotiations are going to be extremely complex and he really needs an agent. We had a very poor offensive line, but he was the best player on it. That doesn’t mean he was actually that strong. He peaked 3 years ago. And he hasn’t had a full season yet because of injuries. Part of me says that we can’t let him go because of the overall weakness of the line, and part of me says that he’s just not that strong. Tough call. Schneider and Carroll will earn their money on this one.

oreo51 says:
Feb 26, 2016 11:20 AM
Okung will save 20% by not hiring an agent and another 10% staying in the state of Washington which has no income tax. If he raps this up quickly the Hawks will not go shopping in free agency for his replacement. It works both ways.